Feature Car June 28 - Aug.18/01

1942 Packard Formal Sedan
June & Earl Tucker
Vancouver Chapter

I was having a tour with the GVRD water department in my museum. A gentleman was looking at my 1949 Packard deluxe eight and mentioned that he knew where there was another Packard. It had been stored in a garage for a number of years. I was so busy with the tour that I didn't have time to talk to him. The tour was over and he was gone without giving me his name or phone number. About a year and a half later I was giving a tour for the Olds club and I recognized the same man. I said stop everything and I asked him if he was the man who knew where there was another old Packard. Sure enough he was the same man. This time I made sure I got his name and phone number. After the tour I asked him some questions about the car. It was a 1942 Packard formal sedan and it was custom ordered by Elizabeth Rogers of Rogers Jewelers. It was now owned by a lawyer named Ken Thompson and the car was in the garage in Panorama Ridge. The next day I phoned and made arrangements to see the car. That afternoon I went to see the Packard. It had been sitting in this garage since 1963 and had not run since that time. It was covered in dust but I could see it was quite a car. It was a 180 powered by a 165 HP 356 CI straight eight, which is top of the line. After checking the car over and trying to realize a value I told him I would think it over. I went home and did some research and found it to be a very rare model. Through a lot of negotiating I bought the car and had it towed home.

Prepped for Painting

 Typical of any car I bring home I cannot wait to get into it. On looking the car over I found it to be in excellent original condition including the padded leather top. The rear seat, the door panels and the headliner are all original. It had 60,000 original miles on it. I had it stripped down to bare metal with the walnut shell process. I opened the engine up and replaced the valve guides, and some new exhaust valves and rings.

Valve and Ring Job Underway

Restored Parts Ready For Assembly

 I did a complete new brake job with new wheel cylinders and master cylinder. All new door glasses were installed in the car. The car has new chrome on the bumper and grille and polished stainless moldings. The front seat was reupholstered in leather. It took 2 years 2 months and 12 days to put the car back on the road. The man who walnut shelled the body said it was rust free and the best one he had ever done. The car was painted by Wayne Starink at the Dupont Training Centre. It is a powerful car and a pleasure to drive. 

Since I  bought this car I have heard many stories from club members This Packard was always chauffer driven until 1958 when it was sold out of the family. Allan Baker's sister came home from the hospital in this car. Lorne Findlay remembers the car and some of the chauffers who drove it.

Plenty of Leg Room

Emergency Rations

The first showing for the Packard after cosmetic restoration was  the 2001 Vancouver Easter Parade. 

This car was one of only six built. It was one of the last of the formal sedans built with side mounts. All rubber and extra sheet metal would now be used for the war. All orders stopped on December 7, 1941. Last production was February 9, 1942. Mr. Rogers took delivery of the car on March 20, 1942 from Consolidated Motors in Vancouver.

Options on the car are:

* overdrive * jump seat *foot rest  * radio * liquor cabinet * vanities * hood ornament light * 2 clocks * power windows * heater * running board antenna * backup light  *divider window * turn signals *sidemount mirrors  

Earl Tucker has been a member of the Vancouver Chapter for a very long time! He has owned countless numbers of cars and always has a new find to show at his home, affectionately known as Tucker's Tin Farm. Jim Macdonald

1942 Packard 180 Formal Sedan
Traveling in Style!